Process of retting and ungumming fiber-plants.



B. LOOMIS. PROCESS OF RETTING AND UNGUMMING FIBER PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23,1912.

. Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

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BURDETT LOOMIS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO LOOMIS UTILIZATIONCOMPANY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF BETTING AND UNGUMMING FIBER-PLANTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ae s, was.

Application filed July 23, 1912. Serial No. 711,048.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BURDETT LooMIs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inProcesses of Retting and Ungumming Fiber-Plants, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to a rocess of retting flax, hemp and other berplants to prepare the plant material for separating the fiber from thebark and Woody material. The object of my invention is to. provide forquickly retting fiber plants, such as flax,

hemp, espartograss, cane, etc., in a closed tank, by dissolving andextracting the gummy or waxy matter, oil, etc., by means of fatty acidsand other solvents derived from the plant or from wood, and diffused inwarm or hot Water and circulated in con tact with the plant material, atthe same time floating off the extracted wax or gum with the circulatingWarm or hot Water, and causing removal therefrom by skimming or bydeposit in a separating chamber, and also repeatedly reheating the Wateror solvent liquor and circulating it through the plant material.

The re'tting process, as usually practised, is slow and laborious, andoften-irregular in action and uncertain in results, producing anindifferent, or an actually damaged product.

By my process I seek to expedite the process, to overcome thedifliculties heretofore encountered, and produce a more uniform fiberproduct, of strong, soft quality and good color. Any tannic acid andcoloring matter which may be present in the plant may be first extractedby circulating Water for a short time at a low temperaturebetween 100 F.and 150 F.through the body of plant material and then drawing ea 7 ofdecomposition may be formed. Among such products are found methylalcohol (wood spirits) acetone and metacetone, methyl, acetic ether,aldehyde and di methyl acetal.

I have discovered that these above mentioned fatty acids, gases andother products of decomposition, When diffused. in hot Water, are anexcellent solvent for the cellular structure, the gummy, Waxy orresinous materials found in wood and plants, and that, if the solventmixture or solution is circulated in contact with the plant material tobe treated the contained gummy, waxy or resinous matter will be quicklyliberated and may be drawn off with the circulating solvent liquor. Thevolatile matter will pass off in the form of vapor and be condensed, andthe Waxy or resinous matter will pass off with the Water in a semiliquidcondition and Will be skimmed off or be deposited and recovered.

I have also discovered that the fatty acids and other solvents may bemost efiectively and economically produced and diffused in Water byfirst heating fresh water and circulating it in contact with wood orplant material at gradually increasing temperature,

ranging from 212 to approximately 300 F. The volatile solvent is readilyextracted from the material and diffused in the Water and the mixture ispassed from the treating tank through a heater where the temperature isgradually raised and is then circulated up through the plant material.The circulation of the water and solvent in contact with the materialand through the heater, the temperature being gradually increased, iscontinued till the solvent has liberated the wax and gummy matter, orother constituents, according to the kind of plants treated, and theseproducts have been recovered. The treatment may be continued for six totwelve hours, according to the character of the plants and thetemperature of the treating liquor.

The matterconstituting my invention will be defined in the claims.

I will now describe my process in detail by reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of one form of apparatusadapted for carrying out the process. end view of crushing rolls and afeed table in section. v

In the apparatus I provide four princi: pal parts or devices, consistingof a treating and extracting tank A, an GXPZLHSIQIL and depositingchamber D,-D, heating colls H located in a furnace below the bottom oftank A, and a condenser E, these parts be. ing suitably connected byvalved pipes and a circulating pump being used in the connecting pipes.The treating tank may be constructed of boiler iron or other suitablesheet metal, and has at the top a mouthiece a provided with a cover a,and at the bottom a pair of rails a". I I

For receiving the flax straw or other fiber plant I provide wheeled carsor trucks B.

having racks bcontaining grids, one'above another and a perforated topplate 6 made of sheet metal or strong wire cloth. Balls 7 a are placedon the bottom of the tank and space may be provided for two or more carsand racks forholding layers of the fiber plants. v To the mouthpiece ais connected a water and vapor discharge pipe C, having a valve 0, whichconnects with an expansion and depositing chamber D, D at the top ofwhich connects a vapor discharge pipe 6, having a v valve 6. The pipe eleads to a condenser E. The expansion and depositing chamber D, l) risesabove the "tank A and is about one half the diameter of said tank,though such exact proportions are not required. This chamber is madewith a tapering lower end d, terminating with a discharge pipe having avalve d for drawing ofl' resinous or gummy material.- A steam .coil-d'.is placed in the lower end of ichamber D for melting resinous or gummymaterial in case it becomes cold and." hardened. At about the middleheight of chamber D, D, is placed a separating dome or hood F, which maybe attached at its edges to the wall of the chamber, as shown, and anoutlet pipe'f connects with'the wall'of chamber 1) at the top ofthe domeand is provided with a valve 7. The dome is located below the connectionof the water and vapor discharge pipe from treating tank A and providesa vapor expansion chamber or space .1) above it, and a depositing orcatch-all chamber or space I) Fig. 2 represents an 'acid is beingtreated, the acid fwill culating pump G. A positively acting ro-rthoughsome other kind of positive pressure pump may be employed. A dischargepipe 9 connects with the pump and leads to the lower end of a series ofheating coils H suitably supported in a furnace K. Three coils areconnected in a series by'means .of' return bends 7 1.- which extendthrough the wall of the furnace. nace is provided a perforated arch kfor distributing the gas flame and protecting the lower heating coil. Afire chamber is provided below the arch in. Gas is preferably burned inthe fire chamber and is supplied by a pipe M having a valve m and [achamber.

Near the bottom of the furtary pressure pump is preferably used,

In order to secure satisfactoryfheating and circulation of liquidthrough the apparatus, the heater is located so that theto'p and thispipe is also connected to the bottom of the treating tank A. The return.

pipe L is provided with a check valve Z and a union coupling Z. A checkvalve, 9" is also placed in the lower end of pipe? at its connectionwith the coil. These 7 check valves prevent back flow of water orsolvent liquor fromthe tank. To pipe L is connected a blow-0E pipeS,having a .valve .9,

provided for receiving tannic acid or other extract or solution. Awater-supply pipe N, having a valve 12., connects with pipe C thereof isbelow the bottom of. the treating .tfi-Ilk A, l .I I To thetop of the,heating coil is connected ,a return pipe L of the circulating system,

near the mouthpiece" of tank A,or may connect at other desired part ofthe apparatus, as near the heating coils,

In case plant material, containing tannic be eX- tracted and stored intank T 5 A second heating furnace K containing a coil J is used forheating gas to be used in drying the plant material after treatment withhot water and solvent solution. A

pipe J, having a valve 1', leads from a gas holder, and connects withthe coil J and a pipe J leads from top of the coil and connects by twobranches with the bottom of tank A. leads from thetop of tank A,preferably a the mouthpiece a to the condenser P. r

A return pipe 1 connects'the top of the condenser with a rotaryeXhauster R and a A return'pipe 70, having a valve (7 contact with thefiber material.

the pipe J connecting pipe 1" thence leads to J whereby the conwith theheating coil densable matter may be removed from the gas, and thenoncondensable gas, then returned to be reheated. The products ofcondensation maybe drawn off from the condenser by faucet w. A gas pipeM having a valve 0, supplies gas to a burner in furnace K for heatingthe coil J In operating the apparatus for carrying out my process, theplant material is place in layers on the grids in the racks and held inplace by any suitable means, and the trucks are rolled into the tank,the end door a being open for the purpose. he door is then closed andsecured by bolts. Now, the system, including tank A, chamber D, D andthe coils H, is filled with water, admitted by pipe N and caused to riseto the level of the discharge pipe C as is then ig nited at the burnerm, and the circulating pump G is started. This causes circulation ofwater through the heating coils and thence up'through the treating tankin I may first proceed to extract and remove tannic acid and coloringmatter from the fiber material I increased in the latin .water isgradually raised,

ases and products of decomposition are.

by circulating water at a temperature between 100 F. and 150 F. throughthe body of material in the tank. Circulation. of

water at this low temperature is continued till all, or most, of thetannic acid and coloring matter have been extracted, then the acidsolutionis drawn off into a tank T by opening valve 25 in pipe Y Thesystem is again filled with water and pump G put in operation and theheat furnace As the circuwater becomes heated, approximately to 212 F.,some of the fatty acids are produced and pass with the water into theheating coils. As the temperature of the other fatty acids,

23 formed and diffuses through the water. The hot circulating water andthe solvent fatty acids soon commence to dissolve the cellular structureand release the volatile matter and wax or gum from the plant material.The vapor, gum and wax pass with the water or liquor into chamber D, D,where the volatile vapors separate and fill the vapor space D from whichthey pass off through pipe 6 to the condenser E, condensation iseffected. At the same time the circulating water containing resinous orgummy matter which has been released from the plant material is passeddown over the separating dome F, where such matter is separated andcaused to settle into the deositing chamber-D Where it collects, whilethe water passes up through the separating dome F, and thence by pipe 7,the circulat- P p heating coils.

G, and pipe 9 mto the bottom of By circulating the hot ing the

from the top of the separating dome F.

- constituents.

where water or-solvent liquor up through the fiber material in tank A,the wax and gummy matter are carried upward and floated ofi with thewater through pipe-C into chamber D, D where they are deposited.

The circulating hot water or solvent liquor in tank A agitates the andprevents packing, and continuously carries away the extracted wax andgummy matterso as to continuously bring fresh liquor into contact withthe material to efitectively exert its solvent action on the cellularstructure thereof and release the wax or gummy and resinousconstituents. In the expansion and depositing chamber D, D the volatilematter and the wax or gum readily separates from the liquor, and at thesame time the liquor is partially cooled so that. the wax or gum ishardened and will readily settle in the bottom of chamber D The velocityof the flow of liquor is much retarded in this chamber, therebyfacilitating the deposit of gum. This action is also aided by the smalloverflow outlet pipe f The temperature of the water or liquor may begradually raised in the heating coils to approximately 300 F. As theoperation progresses and the heat is increased, the water or liquorbecomes charged with an increasing percentage of fatty acids, gases,etc., and these act with increasing energy to dissolve, release andextract the oil, wax, resinous or gummy matter from the material till itis substantially free from such The operation may be con t'inued for aperiod varying from six to .twelve hours, according to thecharacter offiber material treated.

The fatty acid solvent solution used in retting fiber plants may beprepared from any suitable hard wood and diffused in water for obtaininga good solvent for the wax, gum and. resinous matter in the plant. Thesolvent liquor thus previously prepared may be used to 200? F. intreating injury to the fiber, strength is required. v

At suitable intervals, the valve d may be opened and the resin or gumdischarged from the chamber D but this may be mostly discharged at theend of the operation. In case oil is extracted from the plant materialit may be drawn off from the top of liquor in chamber D by opening valve1 in pipe When. the treatment and extraction of wax, gum and oil in tankA is completed, the valve c may be closed and the blow-off valve 8opened, permitting the liquor containing the fatty acid and anyremaining oil to be blown off into the storage and settling tank T,where it is reserved for treating a succeeding charge of plant materialin tank A.

fiber plants to avoid where the greatest body of material 1 at a lowertemperature, 100

and between the trays containing layers of The moisture will be takenfiber material.

up by the warm gas and passed off with it through pipe 12, valve 9 beingopen, to the condenser-.P, where the moisture will be condensed, whilethe non-condensable gas will be drawn oflf by the exhauster R, andreturned through pipe 1' to pipe J leading to the heating coil, where itis reheated and again circulated through-tank A. Circulation is thuscontinued tillthe material is sufficiently dried; Air, instead of gas,may be passed through the heating coil J if desired, and if found betteradaptedYqr dry.

ing certain fiber material; and aftemcondensation of moisture may beforced by e exhauster R repeatedly through the heaterand tank A. Thetemperature of the circu- 25 lated gas or air may range from 100 F. to

200 F. or higher, if the fiber material is of such a character that itwill not be injured by a high temperature. The warm gas or air passesrapidly over the material, and the moist vapors rising from it prevent arise of temperature and prevent overheating. Circulation of Warm gaswill usually be preferable, as the gas (composed principally of hydrogenand" carbon monoxid) is nonoxidizing, and therefore will not discolorthe fiber material. By closing valve j and opening valve 1" in by-passpipe J cool gas may be passed from the holder directly through the tankA for cooling the charge of fiber material before openingthe door a andremoving the cars B. By use of the pipe J gas may also be circulatedrepeatedly through the tank, the condenser and exhaust ,v pump R,without passing through the heater,

till the material is sufficiently dry and cool to be removed from thetank.

Before the fiber plant material, such as henequen, hemp, cane, broomcorn, banana, kelp, etc., is placed in the treating tank A it is,preferably, crushed by passing it between plain or fluted rollers Umounted in a frame w and having a feed table Y as shown in Fig. 2. Thecrushing rolls will be adapted in size and exterior surface to the kindof 5 fiber plant to be crushed.

The juice pressed from broom corn,

banana, henequen plant and other like juicy plants will, preferably, beused in the retting and extracting operation in tank :A, instead 6 ofstarting with clear water. The expressed juice may also'be mixed withany fatty acid or other solvent solution in tank A.

Flax, hard-stalked grasses and other hard fiber material may besubjected in the usual manner to a breaking machine and to a scutchingmachine or mill after treatmentand drying in tank A, for removing barkor chives,- in case it is desired to separate the more valuable fiberfor use in making cordage or textile fabric. The coarse woody materialmay be separately treated for mak-' ing cellulose.

Having described my invention, what I' claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. The process of retting fiber plants, which consists in crushing thefiber material and squeezing out the contained juice, heating theextracted juice and circulating it in contact with the fiber material,thereby releasing and extracting gummy and resinous matter, floating offand removing such mat ter, reheating the extracting liquor andrepeatedly circulating it in. contact with the fiber material tillretting and ungumming are e ected.

2. The\process of retting fiber plants, which consists in crushing thefiber material and squeezing out the contained juice, heating theextracted juice and circulating it, together with fatty acid solventliquor, in

contact with the fiber-material, thereby releasing and extracting gummyand resinous matter, floating off and removing such mat.-

ter, reheating the extracting liquor and repeatedly circulating it incontact with the fiber material till retting and ungumming are effected.1

3. The process of retting fiber plants, which consists in crushing andexpressing the juice, then extracting tannic acid from the material bymeans of warm water, drawing off the tannic acid solution, then heatingthe expressed juice and fatty acid solvent and circulating the mixturein contact with the material and through a heater for releasing thegummy and resinous matter, floating off and removing such matter, re-

- heating the extracting liquor and continuing the treatment tillretting and ungumming are effected, then drawing off the liquor anddrying the material by circulating through it warm nonoxidizing gas.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BURDETTVVLOOMIS.

\Vitnesses:

W. A. SANBoRN, J. L. CROWLEY.

